


speed dating 101

by ignisgayentia



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Professors, Chubby Prompto Argentum, Fat Prompto Argentum, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Ignis, Speed Dating, Wingman Gladio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2020-11-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:22:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27623987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ignisgayentia/pseuds/ignisgayentia
Summary: Ignis, Insomnia University's Lucian music history professor, finds himself at a speed dating session due to his best friend Gladio's latest attempt to be a wingman. He doesn't expect anything to come of it, when he meets a newcomer, Prompto, that he can't seem to take his mind off of. The next day in class, he finds Prompto in the least expected place--teaching the class next to his.
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Noctis Lucis Caelum (background), Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 5
Kudos: 68





	speed dating 101

**Author's Note:**

  * For [phomarciam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/phomarciam/gifts).



> It's officially my buddy [Aneurin's](https://twitter.com/chubbyargentum) birthday where he lives, so I wanted to write him a fic featuring fat Prompto! He requested some Promnis, the rest of the plot is all me going hog wild. I haven't written a university AU where they're both professors, so I figured I'd give it a go! This is just a whole bunch of tendy fluff, I hope you enjoy, dude!
> 
> EDIT: He drew a wonderful piece dedicated to this fic! It's linked in the fic and you can also find it [here!](https://twitter.com/chubbyargentum/status/1329406602814889987?s=20)

Ignis is always nervous before a new semester. Despite having done this for several years now, he can never shake the first-day-jitters. Teaching a group of university students can be intimidating; the greater the number, the larger the impact.

Despite the nerves, Ignis is, as always, more than prepared. He’s finalized his syllabus quite some time ago, compiled the first month’s quizzes, and written out all of the assignments beforehand. 

Ignis knows he simply needs to take his mind off of things, but the nature documentary that usually puts him to sleep isn’t quite doing the trick. 

Ignis is so pent up with nerves, he nearly spills his glass of wine all over himself when several loud knocks pound against the door. There’s only one person he knows that knocks so hard, but he has no idea why one of his best friends decided to show up at his apartment without notice.

Gladio.

Ignis sighs, setting his wine glass on the coaster of his coffee table before walking over to his door, opening it warily.

Gladio is dressed in a surprisingly unwrinkled long-sleeved button-up shirt, his hair pulled up into a ponytail. He’s dressed for some sort of occasion, though Ignis has no idea why; Gladio’s boyfriend, Noctis, is nowhere in sight, and if Ignis recalls correctly, he hadn’t made any plans with Gladio anytime soon.

“Gladio,” Ignis greets with surprise. “This is certainly a surprise. We have students to teach tomorrow, you know.”

“I know that,” Gladio says. “But, knowing you, you’re probably pacing the room going over the syllabus for the 500th time or something like that.”

Ignis hates that Gladio knows him so well. Gladio is also a professor at Insomnia University, teaching sports medicine. They’ve known each other since grade school, but they became very close after being hired by the university at nearly exactly the same time. It doesn’t help that Ignis is very close with Gladio’s boyfriend, Noctis, as well.

“That’s none of your business,” Ignis retorts. “And actually, I was enjoying a glass of wine.”

Gladio raises an eyebrow. “On a _school_ night?” He pretends to gasp. “You’re goin’ wild.”

Ignis snorts. “Hardly. It helps with nerves.”

“Well, good, ‘cause I got a proposal for you. And you can’t say no,” Gladio says. “I made reservations.”

Ignis hand finds his hip, instantly guarded. “ _Reservations?_ Why not with Noct?”

“Well…” Gladio starts laughing, a sheepish expression spreading on his face, one that makes Ignis even more nervous. “He’s already seeing someone, so that wouldn’t make much sense.”

Ignis pinches the bridge of his nose, letting out a long sigh. He should have suspected as much; Gladio constantly tries to be his wingman in some form or another, setting him up for potential blind dates, and signing up for ridiculous dating events. He can only imagine what sort of horror Ignis is in for tonight.

“What sort of matchmaking funeral have you planned now?” Ignis asks tiredly.

“C’mon. It’s not that bad. I think it’s more on your level. It’s, uh, speed dating.”

Ignis locks eyes with Gladio. “I _beg_ your pardon?”

“Speed… dating…?”

“Speed and dating should not intertwine,” Ignis points out. “You thought _speed dating_ was more ‘on my level’?”

“I dunno. You’re a fast kinda guy,” Gladio points out. “You know you wanna date someone in half a second.”

“I’m not _quite_ that judgmental,” Ignis says, uncertain whether to be offended or not.

“It’s not about being judgmental. It’s about… throwin’ caution to the wind and giving someone a chance, talkin’ about whatever. C’mon, it’s not like you _have_ to date them.”

“It _is_ called speed _dating,”_ Ignis reminds him.

“Yeah, it’s more like… speed _to_ date someone. Just getting to know them. It’s only ten minutes with each person. You don’t like ‘em, you can leave to the next person and never have to talk to ‘em again,” Gladio points out. “ _And_ I’ll go with you, keep you company.”

Ignis hates that he’s considering going along with this. Gladio certainly knows how to pitch the unappealing into something more. It probably doesn’t help that Ignis has a glass of wine in him already, and he has nothing better to do the night before the semester starts. Taking his mind off of those pre-semester jitters would also be ideal.

“Mmm,” Ignis hums thoughtfully, downing the rest of his wine glass. “I’m not certain.”

“C’mon, Iggy.” Gladio punches Ignis’s shoulder playfully. “You owe me after that one time.”

Ignis groans. “Will you ever _not_ hold that one against me?”

Gladio grins. “Nope. I love ya, but… nope.”

Ignis supposes this is the way Gladio will remove That One Time off of Ignis’s list of debts. After all, a few moments of speed dating won’t hurt.

“ _Twenty_ minutes of speed dating. That’s it,” Ignis promises.

“ _Twenty?”_ Gladio whines. “That’s only, like, two dudes.”

“So be it. I will talk with _two_ people. I am not budging on twenty.”

“Eh, I’ll take it for now. I’ll buy you a glass of wine and you’ll be chatting away,” Gladio says with a gruff laugh. “Starts in an hour. Go get ready.”

Ignis rolls his eyes, heading into his room to find an appropriate wardrobe. He doesn’t want to wear anything _too_ refined; he would hate it if anyone thought he actually elected to attend a speed dating session by his own free will. Still, he doesn’t want to look _unrefined_ either. 

He settles for a dark red dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of silver gloves. If he has to shake a lot of hands, he doesn’t want to touch any of them directly.

As it’s Ignis’s day off today, his hair is unstyled. He leaves it that way, ash blond hair brushed off to the side slightly for a more casual look. 

When Ignis emerges from the bedroom, Gladio’s eyebrow raises. “Damn. Never thought you’d actually put effort into looking good for this.”

“I didn’t,” Ignis replies haughtily, brushing past Gladio. “How did Noctis take the news that you were attending a speed dating session without him?”

“Nice subject change,” Gladio teases. “He doesn’t care. He knows I’m just trying to get you laid.”

Ignis slaps him playfully. “You both need a hobby.”

“Well, luckily for you, with the semester starting, we’ll both have our hands full,” Gladio points out. He jingles his car keys in his pocket. “Ready to go?”

Noctis teaches Lucian History at the university, but met Gladio, similarly to Ignis, long before they ended up teaching at the university.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Ignis responds tiredly.

Ignis has been through a lot of interesting blind dates to say the least, but this is by far going to be the strangest. 

——— 

When they arrive at the bar, Ignis can’t exactly say that he’s surprised. He doesn’t particularly find himself attracted to anyone standing around waiting for the speed dating session to begin. There are a few university students, and the rest seem far older. Ignis doesn’t find himself itching to talk with any of them. Then again, he never did to begin with.

“This is certainly a crowd,” Ignis notes, as several eyes fall on Gladio’s wide frame. “You’re gaining an audience.”

Gladio smirks. “So are you.”

Surely enough, there are quite a few onlookers for Ignis, as well. He feels the eyes of several women of varying age ranges lingering on him. He can’t say that he’s particularly surprised at this, either; for some reason, he does have quite a few students that stare for just a bit too long as well. Perhaps academics are some sort of fetish for these people.

“Do I _have_ to do this?” Ignis asks after a moment.

“Twenty minutes, you promised,” Gladio says. “C’mon, it’ll be fun. I’ll go get a drink.”

Ignis sighs and nods, waiting awkwardly closest to the door when the host of the speed dating session clears their throat and puts on a fake smile for everyone to see.

“We’re going to start by everyone drawing a number from this bowl,” the host says, gesturing to a bowl filled with little scraps of paper. “If you draw a number one through ten, you will sit at your assigned table.” They gesture to bar tables adorned with a number in the corner of the room. “If you have a number above ten, you’re going to find someone sitting at a table, and you will have a ten minute conversation with them. Keep going until you find someone you want to go on a date with.”

Ignis lets out a long sigh as he waits his turn to grab a number from the bowl. Gladio elbows him, returning with a glass of wine. Ignis gratefully takes it.

“This is going to be a very long twenty minutes,” Ignis laments as he reaches into the bowl.

Ignis pulls out the number six. At least he doesn’t have to pretend to be interested in someone to the extent of _choosing_ . _He’ll_ get to sit at a table.

“I got 14,” Gladio mumbles. “Guess I’m goin’ hunting.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

“Noct is going to kill you,” Ignis teases. “I will give you all the money in my wallet right now if you choose my table, and avoid us both the embarrassment.”

“No can do, Iggy,” Gladio says. “I ain’t takin’ away anyone’s choice to come sit at your table. If they’re, y’know, not too intimidated.”

“I hate this,” Ignis bemoans. “You’re lucky I owe you.”

“Guess so.”

The host rings a bell sound on their phone. “Alright, now that everyone has their numbers, let’s get started!”

Ignis throws Gladio an annoyed look before leaving him to find the number six table. He looks around at just about anything _but_ his fellow speed dating participants. This has never been his approach to any sort of dating or friendship. He wants things like this to develop naturally, and he can’t see how that can happen when he’s _forced_ to.

“Everyone seems to be seated,” the host says, “so, let’s do this. You have ten minutes to speak with any of the fine people seated at the tables. Ready? Go!”

Ignis puts on his bravest face, hiding behind his glass of wine when the first contestant takes a seat at his table. The person’s pronoun name tag reads, “she/her”, and while Ignis isn’t going to turn anyone away, he usually prefers someone a bit more masculine. 

Ignis becomes even less interested when he discovers that she’s entirely full of herself. Ignis barely had time to introduce himself before she started going on and on about her job and her passions. 

By the time the ten minute alarm rings, Ignis has only been able to mention that he worked at the university; this woman took up the rest of the conversation. 

She shakes his hand, calling him handsome before walking away, and Ignis snorts.

“That was absolutely _dreadful,”_ Ignis mutters to himself, drinking the rest of his wine.

There’s a two minute break after the first session, and Ignis orders himself another glass of wine to get through the next contestant. Just _one_ more, and he’s free from this place forever. 

Out of the corner of Ignis’s eye, he sees Gladio laughing hard with a woman with huge black circular-framed glasses and an orange hat on her head. She’s lovely, but Ignis isn’t surprised to see that Gladio’s a hit with everyone.

“Alright, next round is up! Find your tables.”

Ignis finds himself face-to-face with someone going by he/him pronouns this time, according to the name tag. He has a pleasant face, but it’s soured by a serious expression.

By the time the man opens his mouth, Ignis knows this is going to be a very long ten minutes. He soon discovers that this man can and will complain about everything under the sun, from the drinks being served to the time the event started. 

Ignis isn’t afraid to complain from time to time, but he’s completely exhausted by the time the ten minutes are up. There’s only so much Ignis can think to complain about within ten minutes. He settled for wordless agreement toward the last half of the conversation.

Ignis can’t help but smirk when he realizes that with this round’s alarm bell, it’s been twenty minutes. He’s _free._

Ignis finishes his wine glass, entirely too pleased with himself when someone sits in front of him before the next round is announced.

Ignis is about to protest, trying to find a way to politely explain to this person that he was on his way out, when his eyes fall on just who is sitting in front of him.

It’s by far the most adorable man Ignis has ever seen.

He’s a blond, and Ignis has never seen him here or on campus before. He looks like he _could_ be a student, but something tells Ignis that he isn’t. He has dark freckles smeared across his full cheeks, complemented by beautiful bright periwinkle eyes. There are square-framed glasses sliding down his nose, which Ignis can’t help but find endearing. He’s smiling without Ignis having to say a word, and Ignis can honestly say he’s never seen a smile brighter. He has a round, soft-looking stomach tucked underneath a flannel button-up shirt. 

“Heya,” the man says, voice soft and slightly nervous, but still friendly. “Figured I’d get a head start. You, uh, like dudes?”

Ignis realizes that the man is, indeed, talking to him—sitting at his _table,_ in fact—and therefore requires a response. He ducks his head, wishing he had more wine to hide behind for an entirely different reason than his previous suitors. 

“I do indeed,” Ignis says gently. “And… yourself?”

The man throws his head back and laughs hard, a sound like music to Ignis’s ears. “I mean, if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have picked your table, man.”

Ignis finds himself flushing. This is a point that Ignis hadn’t thought of at all, and he chalks that up to the man in front of him being devastatingly distracting. 

“Ah. A fair point,” Ignis says. “Forgive me, I’m not accustomed to these sorts of things.”

“Me either. My friend made me go. Worst thing that can happen is I just come in the same way I go out… heartbreakingly single,” the man says with a wistful sigh. “I know I’m settin’ my sights high with you, but hey, might as well shoot my shot, right?” He winks as he imitates shooting a gun.

Something about this man sends Ignis’s heart into a frenzy; he suddenly feels like he’s in grade school with a hopeless crush all over again.

“I suppose you’re right about that,” Ignis says. “My friend made me come as well.”

“Oh, yeah? Who’d you come with?” the man asks. “Do they have an accent like yours? It’s pretty. Tenebrae, right?”

“Yes,” Ignis says with soft surprise. “You’re familiar with Tenebrae?”

“Only by name! I have a buddy from Tenebrae, she’s great,” he says. 

“Ah, I see. That’s wonderful,” Ignis says. “No, _my_ friend is not from Tenebrae, however. He’s merely a work friend that tries much too hard to be a wingman.”

“Aww, that’s cute, though,” he responds with a giggle. “Don’t really see how _you’d_ need a wingman, though. Have I mentioned you’re drop dead gorgeous?”

Ignis bites his lip, chuckling a little, hoping his flush doesn’t redden. “You’re very forward.”

“Yeah, I’m a forward kinda guy. Sorry ‘bout that.”

Ignis is about to assure him it’s alright when the host of the event speaks up.

“Alright, round two, start!” 

Ignis and his mystery date start to laugh, as they’ve already had a head start on talking. He has a wonderful laugh, Ignis realizes, light and musical.

“I guess it’s a good time to introduce myself, sorry, I’m all over the place,” the man teases. “The name’s Prompto.” He holds his hand out for Ignis to shake.

_Prompto._ A somehow fitting name, considering his fast personality. Ignis reaches out to grip Prompto’s hand, feeling the warmth of his touch even through his gloves.

“Ignis,” Ignis supplies. “I didn’t see you when I walked in.”

“Ignis,” Prompto tries the name out. “Yeah, I was kinda late… Oops.”

Ignis is glad for that. He’s certain if he saw Prompto among the group of people before the event started, he would have turned heel and walked out—he’s far too adorable for words. Ignis can hardly keep up. What does Ignis have to offer someone like him?

“How were you late, if a friend brought you?” Ignis wonders.

“Well, my friend’s kind of… well, she’s…” Prompto scrambles for words as a waiter brings Ignis another glass of wine. “Can I have a drink of that?”

Ignis raises an eyebrow as he looks down at the drink. “My wine?”

“Yeah. I kinda rushed in here, no time for a… sorry, too weird? Never mind.” Prompto snorts. “Kinda nervous.”

“You needn’t apologize,” Ignis says, thoroughly refreshed by Prompto’s honesty. “You may drink as much as you’d like.”

Prompto beams. “Sweet!” He reaches out, and winces as the wine touches his lips. It doesn’t seem to be his preferred drink, which makes it all the more charming. Prompto sets the glass down in front of Ignis roughly. “Whew. That’s gross.”

“Why did you drink it?” Ignis says, unable to hold in his laughter.

“Uh... wanted some liquid courage.” Prompto clears his throat. “So, uh, _Ignis…_ what do you like to do?”

Ignis finds himself unable to look away from those mesmerizing periwinkle eyes. “In general? As a hobby, or…?”

“Sure. What makes you happy?”

Ignis isn’t prepared for such a loaded question. “Well, that’s quite complicated, isn’t it?”

Prompto shrugs. “The whole small talk thing is great, but we’ve only got, like, what? Six minutes? Like I said…” He wiggles his fingers playfully, “I gotta shoot my shot.”

Ignis almost wants to tell Prompto that he can have as much time as he’d like with him, but refrains at the very last moment. 

“I like…” Ignis gives it some thought. He’s never really been asked such a deep question before. “I like music, I enjoy cooking for loved ones, I like the smell of coffee in the morning, I like animals, bad puns, puzzle games, a good nature documentary…” He searches the recesses of his mind. “I enjoy eating junk food at three in the morning when I’ve had a bad day.” He chuckles a little.

A grin spreads wide on Prompto’s face, making his adorably round face even rounder. “Alright, _now_ we’re talkin’.” He snorts. “Yeah, I figured there’s no way a dude who looks as composed as you doesn’t let loose once in a while.”

“I suppose,” Ignis agrees, unable to wipe the tiny smile off of his face. Prompto’s enthusiasm is contagious, it seems, pulling him in like an ocean tide. “And yourself? What is it that makes you happy?”

“Oh, man,” Prompto blows out a stressed breath, leaning back in his seat. He runs a hand through his hair, and Ignis resists the urge to do the same thing to him. “I love playin’ video games. The late night junk food thing sounds good, too. I like… taking pictures—photography, I guess. Capturing little moments on camera. That’s the life… Oh, um, I like spicy food. Animals. I like little kids, they’re so great… full of life, y’know? I like good times with friends, makin’ memories… Tinkering with stuff, like taking apart electronics? Always a weird li’l hobby of mine. Running; I like to run too, gets that adrenaline flowin’. I guess cooking can be fun too, I dunno how good I am at it, but…” 

Ignis makes the grave mistake of imagining Prompto doting on a child, and finds himself looking away, thoroughly charmed. He knows it’s foolish to allow himself to be so affected by him; after all, they don’t know each other. Prompto could be a miserable, horrible person, after all. Though the thought is laughable, it _is_ possible.

“Those are all… wonderful things,” Ignis says lamely, not quite accustomed to the dating scene anymore. “We have a lot in common, it seems. What’s your favorite thing to cook?”

“Um, well… I guess I like to _bake_ cookies. I don’t get why everyone is always so up in arms about the difference between baking and cooking. Like, you’re in the kitchen, that’s all that matters.” Prompto laughs.

“I suppose that is all that matters. I never much cared about the difference, either. Cookies are always a treat.”

“Yeah.” Prompto sighs wistfully.

“Two minutes left!” the speed dating host announces.

Ignis and Prompto both lean back a little, not quite realizing they were leaning into each other far too much. It’s sort of a jolt back to reality, the announcement; once two minutes are up, he’ll have to say goodbye to Prompto, and he’s not ready for that just yet.

“I must say, campus is a fairly small area… I haven’t seen you around here before,” Ignis notes. “Have I just been incredibly unobservant?”

Prompto rests his head on his hand, fiddling with the tablecloth as he searches Ignis’s eyes. “Nope. I’m new in town. Wanted to get to know people. I guess this is one way to do that.” He rolls his eyes. “Didn’t think I’d find… y’know, someone like you in here.”

“Pardon, but… what do you mean, by, ‘someone like me’?” Ignis asks curiously.

“Y’know. Refined, but fun. Sexy. Confident, but a bit of a shy streak.” Prompto winks. “You’re seriously a ten, what the hell are you doin’ here?”

Ignis flushes intensely. “I could say the exact same to you. You’re incredibly charming.”

“ _And_ a flatterer.” Prompto giggles. “I’ll take it. Met any keepers?”

“Well, before you, no.” Ignis widens his eyes at the sudden outburst. “I mean, I didn’t think I’d find anyone worth talking to, and I hadn’t, but… this has been fun. I’m pleasantly surprised.”

It’s Prompto’s turn to flush this time, highlighting the pretty little freckles strewn along his cheeks. “Man, I’d be _happy_ to be given the honor to make your day anyday.”

Ignis finds himself laughing, for lack of a better thing to do. He’s not even certain if Prompto intended his words to be as charming as they are, but Ignis finds himself thoroughly flattered; he’s never had anything of the sort spoken to him before.

“You’re going to inflate my ego,” Ignis murmurs. “Did you practice for this?”

“Nope! I just kind of say awkward things ‘til somethin’ sticks.”

“Time’s up!” the host announces, as everyone starts scrambling from their tables.

“Well, it’s working,” Ignis says, locking eyes with Prompto desperately. “I was supposed to leave after meeting two people… You’re my third.”

“Third time’s the charm!” Prompto says with a wink. “So, uh, how’d I do? Can I give you my number?”

“Yes,” Ignis blurts out way too fast. He doesn’t have the time to beat around the bush, after all. He’s far too worried that someone will snatch Prompto up. He’s shocked that he hasn’t been so far.

They exchange phones, hands and fingers brushing against one another, sending a shiver down Ignis’s spine. Ignis stands up, not wanting anyone else to take his table.

“Are you staying?” Ignis wonders. “It’s none of my business, but…”

“Maybe have a few drinks,” Prompto says with a shrug. “I think I’ve kinda peaked here, though.” He gestures to the rest of the participants.

Ignis feels oddly smug about this. “I wish I could stay…” he finds himself saying, much to his surprise. “I’m pushing my luck already. I have an early work morning…”

“No, no, dude, I totally get it. We can plan something special down the line, huh?” Prompto says. “I mean, if you want to. I’d be cool with just hangin’ out, y’know? Doesn’t have to be…”

“No, it doesn’t,” Ignis says. “But that sounds wonderful.”

“It was nice meeting you, Ignis,” Prompto says softly, his soft features a bit mesmerized. 

Ignis hates that he loves the way Prompto says his name. “You as well, Prompto.”

Ignis feels Prompto’s eyes on him as he heads toward the bar, finding Gladio laughing with a woman with silver blonde hair in a pulled-tight ponytail.

Gladio spins around in the barstool as soon as Ignis places a gloved hand on his shoulder.

“Dude, you lasted longer than I thought you would,” Gladio says. “I saw you chattin’ up that blond over there. Any luck?”

“Wait,” the woman with the ponytail says suddenly, “ _which_ blond?”

“It was merely a conversation,” Ignis insists.

“The soft-lookin’ dude in the flannel,” Gladio explains to the woman.

“Hey, that’s my friend I dragged here,” she says with a smirk. “I wanted him to break the ice with some folks around here, since we’re new in town.”

“Oh,” Ignis says with soft surprise. “He mentioned you, not by name.”

“Aranea,” she supplies. “I don’t see any ladies I’m into here… but… y’know. Figured it was a long shot.” She locks eyes with Ignis. “You hurt a hair on his blond little head, I’ll kick your ass.”

Ignis raises his hands in surrender. “No harm intended. Ignis, by the way.”

Gladio laughs. “Cute.” He looks up at Ignis. “Guessin’ you’re ready to head out?”

“Yes, I’ve had my fill of speed dating for the rest of my life, I believe,” Ignis says.

Aranea huffs out a snort. “Surprised you came here at all. You don’t look the type.”

That’s the second time Ignis has heard that this evening.

“It was against my will, I assure you,” Ignis insists. 

Gladio laughs. “C’mon, I did you a favor,” he says, sliding off of the barstool. “You met a cute li’l blond. You _love_ blonds.”

“Shut it,” Ignis mutters, thoroughly embarrassed. He absolutely does _not_ have a penchant for blonds. Freckled, round, soft, charming blonds, on the other hand…

“Nice meeting you,” Aranea calls over her shoulder. 

“You too,” Gladio says. “Don’t do what I wouldn’t do.”

Aranea laughs at this. “I’ll do my best.”

Ignis and Gladio make way for the bar’s exit, and Ignis feels Aranea’s eyes on him as well as he leaves. Apparently, he warrants being watched for one reason or another. 

“I suppose it’s a good thing Noct won’t know you were chatting her up,” Ignis teases as they walk to the car.

“You’re kidding, right? She’s a huge lesbian,” Gladio says. “Don’t think I’m her type.”

“Oh, I’m well aware of that,” Ignis says pointedly. “Noct likely wouldn’t, however.”

“Nah, you’re probably right. He sucks at reading people,” Gladio says as slides into the driver’s seat of his car. “So, what do you think?”

Ignis buckles his seatbelt, preparing for the interrogation. “What about?”

“You gonna give that Blondie a chance?”

Ignis finds himself feeling flustered; he knows that he _wants_ to, more than anything. The sad reality is, though, once Prompto likely finds out just how involved Ignis is in work, and how busy he tends to keep himself, the interest, at least on Prompto’s side, will wane easily. It’s usually how his relationships go, and no one ever really gains a chance to see how doting Ignis can be—and _wants_ to be.

“I’m not certain,” Ignis says, and that’s about all he can promise at the moment.

“He seemed into you. You never know,” Gladio points out. “He’s super cute.”

“I suppose you’re right about that. And he is, but I’ve other things to fuss about at the moment.”

“You’re the smartest dude I know. I think you can fuss about multiple things.”

Ignis smiles to himself. “You’re certainly not wrong.”

The rest of their journey passes through a comfortable silence. Ignis occupies his mind with thoughts of Prompto; his smile, his eyes, his laugh. He wonders if Prompto would be just like the rest, and tire of Ignis’s priorities. Perhaps Ignis could shift his priorities a bit, to allow for someone like Prompto to be in his life.

Ignis has no idea why he’s entertaining such thoughts; he’s only barely met the man.

Gladio pulls up in front of Ignis’s apartment complex, cutting the engine.

“Yo, thanks for going along with this. I know you hated it, but you _did_ meet someone, so you can’t even be mad,” Gladio says. “You should give him a call, dude. You deserve to be treated by someone nice.”

Ignis reigns in a visible flush to his best ability. Gladio isn’t often so serious, and it always catches Ignis off guard. 

“I appreciate that. I am not mad at you. However, we are now even, might I remind you.”

“Even. Got it. Good luck with your first day of class tomorrow.”

“You as well. Don’t allow too many people to fawn over you,” Ignis teases.

“I mean, right back at you.”

Ignis decides to ignore the comment, laughing as he heads into his apartment. Once he’s greeted with silence and an empty apartment, he sighs a bit. He can only imagine someone like Prompto happily awaiting Ignis’s return, as they cook a meal together and settle on the couch for the night with a good program or video game, cuddling Prompto’s soft warmth.

It’s a shame; Ignis craves the domesticity he’s not certain he’ll ever get.

As Ignis readies for bed, by the time he crawls into it and places his phone on the charger, he notices a text message from none other than Prompto (who placed several emojis near his name when entering his phone number in Ignis’s contacts).

Ignis can’t help but smile, feeling his heart race in his chest.

**_Prompto (11:24 P.M.):_ ** _hey i hope this isn’t too soon haha, but i really liked talkin’ with you tonight. even if it was only for, like, ten minutes._

**_Ignis (11:25 P.M.):_ ** _Not soon enough. I enjoyed it as well, but don’t sell us short. It was about fifteen minutes, I’ll have you know._

Prompto’s response is immediate, and it warms Ignis’s heart. He probably looks ridiculous right about now, grinning at his phone like some sort of idiot, but he can hardly help it.

**_Prompto (11:26 P.M.):_ ** _oh shit, you’re right. FIFTEEN minutes. clearly enough time to determine if we’re soulmates, right??_

**_Ignis (11:27 P.M.):_ ** _Oh, absolutely. We’re practically exchanging vows._

**_Prompto (11:28):_ ** _i do ;)) maybe we could get some, uh, coffee this week? i remember you sayin’ you liked coffee._

Ignis’s heart continues to race. Obviously, a coffee date with Prompto sounds wonderful. On the other hand, Ignis doesn’t want to set himself up for disappointment.

**_Ignis (11:29 P.M.):_ ** _I would love that. I’ll send you my schedule when I wake up, yes?_

**_Prompto (11:30 P.M.):_ ** _ooo mr. important schedule boy. yeah, dude, that’s perfect. i hope you sleep well, ignis!_

**_Ignis (11:32 P.M.):_ ** _Unfortunately, my schedule is rather inflexible, so it runs me, and not the other way around. I’m very glad to hear it. Pleasant dreams, Prompto._

Ignis sighs as he puts his phone down. He knows in order to get closer to Prompto, he’ll have to relax a little, and let down those walls he’s so carefully built up over the years. Practice makes perfect. He can only hope it doesn’t frighten Prompto away in the meantime.

Ignis knows his first day of the new semester is going to be filled with thoughts of Prompto; he can only hope that it doesn’t distract him _too_ much.

——— 

Ignis sighs as he drinks nearly half of his coffee by the time he heads into class. He’s early, as usual, and has everything prepared well in advance. He’s planned to go over the syllabus today, and perhaps a light lesson if time permits; nothing extravagant for the first day, but Ignis is still nervous.

Despite finding a passion for teaching Lucian music history, Ignis is fairly certain those nerves won’t ever cease.

Students begin to file into class, one by one. Ignis greets them, and they seem cheerful enough for a morning crowd. Ignis would assume a Lucian music history class would be entirely a chosen elective for most, therefore there is at least _some_ enthusiasm to be here.

“That should be everyone,” Ignis says. “Regardless, class starts now, I’m certain anyone running late will have to agonize over missing my introduction in private.”

This earns a few giggles from some of the women in class, giggles that Ignis hears quite often every semester. He allows himself to be flattered, even if he is vehemently disinterested.

“My name is Ignis Scientia, and I will be your Lucian music history professor this semester. I’m not a fan of working on the weekends, as I’m certain you all can relate, so coursework outside of class will be fairly minimal.”

There are some sighs of relief. Ignis is certain some audiences gather a certain assumption about Ignis’s class policies by the way he carries himself. He does enjoy proving people wrong.

“We’ll likely spend most of this class going over the syllabus, as exciting as that may be. That being said, I expect you all to follow it, and therefore we won’t have any problems in this class.” Ignis looks over his glasses at all of them.

“Let’s get the worst part out of the way, shall we? Quizzes and exams…” Ignis says with an overly dramatic dreary sigh. 

A few people groan, and others laugh.

“Quizzes will be worth forty percent of your grade. They will not be based on any particular material in the book, but on what I teach in class, instead. Weekly quizzes sound exhausting, therefore we’ll have a quiz twice a month instead. As much as I wish to make things easier on you all, I do have to _teach_ the class somehow.” Ignis chuckles.

The door to his classroom opens, and Ignis figures it’s just a late straggler. Ignis doesn’t mind them so much on the first day. He supposes people can get lost on campus quite often.

“Hey, um… you got any dry-erase markers—holy shit,” a very familiar voice says from the doorway.

_Prompto._

Ignis’s head snaps over immediately, slightly wide-eyed. Prompto was about the _last_ person he expected to walk through this door, and a million questions race through Ignis’s mind all at once. How did Prompto get here? Why? How did he know exactly which classroom to walk into?

The students all appear extremely confused as to why this stranger has not only burst into Ignis’s class, but also uttered an expletive for no apparent reason.

“Markers?” Ignis asks, a little dumbfounded.

“Yeah, sorry, I’m, uh, new photography professor…” Prompto starts laughing to himself, shaking his head fondly. “Sorry, guys.” He waves to the students. 

Ignis doesn’t know how to explain that he’s met Prompto before; he doubts that his students _actually_ care. The fact that Prompto not only is new in town, but new to teaching in the university as well surprises Ignis. He had no idea Prompto was teaching photography here.

“Let me lend you some. I won’t need them today, since we’re on the thrilling subject of quizzes,” Ignis says sarcastically, earning a few more giggles from the students.

Prompto lets out another nervous laugh. “Gotta love that.” He walks over to Ignis, shifting from one foot to the other as Ignis grabs a few dry-erase markers for him..

Ignis hands Prompto the markers, a pleasantly surprised expression coloring his features. 

“Dude, this is so wild,” Prompto whispers, quiet enough for the students not to hear.

“It certainly is,” Ignis whispers back. “We can discuss this later, hmm?”

“Sure, sure. Good luck,” Prompto says. “See you guys, have fun talking about… quizzes… with this guy, it’ll be a blast.” He winks.

The students laugh again, a few of them snickering. Prompto made it just a bit obvious as to what their relationship entails. 

“I appreciate that, we certainly will,” Ignis remarks, hoping he isn’t flushing. “Apologies for the interruption…”

Ignis watches Prompto leave his class, and despite the awkwardness of the sudden intrusion, he finds himself missing Prompto’s presence. He wonders how close Prompto’s classroom is. He knows there is a vacant one just down the hall—he had no idea Prompto would be the one filling it. 

There’s a moment of silence, which Ignis feels incredibly awkward about. He scrambles to gather his thoughts, glancing at the syllabus to try to find a jumpstart. 

“What were we talking about?” Ignis asks warily. “Ah. Quizzes. Right. Exams will only happen twice a semester, just to summarize what you’ve learned. You’ll have a choice to write a paper or take an exam, whichever method you… prefer…” Ignis trails off, mind thoroughly occupied with Prompto.

This is not how he planned his first day of the new semester to go.

Ignis manages to get through the rest of the syllabus with no interruptions—and no issues on Ignis’s end, thankfully enough. He’s fairly certain he’ll be the subject of student gossip for at least two minutes before they find something more entertaining to discuss, but Ignis supposes he can live with that.

“And unfortunately, we seem to be out of time… my office hours are listed on the syllabus if you have any questions. I do have some matters to attend to, therefore today’s office hours will be closed. Have a wonderful day.”

Ignis barely waits for the class to file out before rushing out himself to seek Gladio out. He has far too much information on his plate, and he needs someone to whine to.

Ignis knocks on Gladio’s office door for a brief moment, practically throwing himself inside as soon as Gladio gives him the go-ahead to come in.

“Dude, what’s up with you? You’re super red,” Gladio notes casually, face buried in some cup noodles.

“You’ve got to help me,” Ignis bemoans. “It’s him. Prompto. He’s the new photography professor. He stumbled into my class to borrow something and my entire first day of teaching is _ruined._ I’m fairly certain the entire student body knows—”

“I don’t think they care that much.” Gladio starts laughing. “Yeah, I saw him on my way in. Isn’t this a _good_ thing, though? You guys have an excuse to see each other every day.”

“Yes, but it’s hardly appropriate when I have students to teach.”

“So don’t bang on the desks when your students are in the room? It’s not that hard,” Gladio points out.

Ignis rolls his eyes. “I’m serious.”

“Dude, just… go out and get some coffee with him. It’ll be less awkward once you guys get to know each other,” Gladio promises. 

Another knock on Gladio’s office door startles Ignis, nearly jumping out of his own skin.

“Um, hey? Ignis…?” Prompto calls through the door.

Gladio wiggles his eyebrows playfully. “Sup? Come on in.”

Ignis hates to admit that he’s delighted to see Prompto walk in. He’s wearing a dark red tank top that’s rather form-fitting, highlighting his soft, round stomach. There’s a bandanna tied around his arm, and it’s a fashion aesthetic completely different from what Ignis saw on him last night. He likes it.

Prompto locks eyes with Ignis, a shy yet bold smile appearing on his lips. “Hey.”

“Good afternoon,” Ignis says softly.

“I saw you come in here, I wanted to chat before you headed off, but you ran away before I could do anything,” Prompto explains sheepishly. “This is, uh, a new predicament, huh?”

“You can say that again,” Ignis says.

Gladio clears his throat pointedly, reminding Ignis of Gladio’s suggestion.

Ignis closes his eyes. “Right. Perhaps we can go out for coffee now? It appears we have much to discuss. Unless you have another class…?”

“Nope, I’m good for the day,” Prompto says. “That sounds great. Hey, uh, big guy.”

“Gladio,” Gladio supplies with his mouth full as he nods.

“Gladio,” Prompto corrects himself. “Shall we?”

Ignis’s heart flutters. “That would be grand.”

“Stay safe, kiddos,” Gladio mutters sarcastically as they head out of his office.

———

Ignis’s favorite campus coffee shop is relatively quiet for this time of day, much to his surprise. When he swings by for a coffee in the mornings, it’s fairly busy unless he shows up at a ridiculously early time.

Prompto seems nervous at his side, fiddling with anything he can get his hands on, but Ignis can hardly blame him. Neither of them were prepared to run into each other quite so soon. Infatuation aside, being coworkers complicates things unnecessarily. 

They find a corner table after ordering coffee, and they both sit in silence for a moment.

“So…” Prompto begins. “That was… wild? You were, like, the last person I expected to see in that classroom.”

Ignis chuckles nervously. “Likewise. I thought I was dreaming.”

“You def looked like you’d seen a ghost.” Prompto starts fiddling with the cardboard on his coffee cup. “Guess we missed a few subjects during speed dating.”

“I didn’t think your career would be relevant quite so soon,” Ignis murmurs. “That’s certainly one way to find out.”

“Yeah.” Prompto snorts. “So, you’re… um… some sort of music professor?”

“Lucian music history,” Ignis explains, “yes.” 

“Dude. That’s super cool. Niche. Me likes.” Prompto blows out a stressed breath, his fiddling with the cardboard intensifying. “D’you like it?”

Ignis wishes he could ease Prompto’s nerves; their dynamic has changed quite a bit, and he’s feeling equally anxious about it. 

“I do. My family worked for Lucian royals in the past, and so I grew up surrounded by Lucian history knowledge. Combine that with a few piano lessons, and… well, we’re here now.” Ignis smiles gently.

“Oh? Do you play piano?” Prompto smiles beautifully.

“I do. I teach it, in fact,” Ignis says. “I offer private piano lessons as well.”

Prompto’s eyebrows raise. “What? Yo, that’s awesome. I’ve always wanted to learn. Maybe I should sign up.” He wiggles his eyebrows playfully, smiling a little.

Ignis laughs nervously, for lack of a better response. That would only complicate their dynamic a bit. “Coworkers _and_ teacher-pupil relationships. My, my, we’re the whole package.”

Prompto flushes a little. “Too weird? Sorry. I probably wouldn’t be able to concentrate on, uh… y’know… the lesson, anyway.”

“I’d be happy to teach you, though perhaps an informal approach might be best,” Ignis suggests. 

“Yeah. Yeah, totally, dude.” He speaks far too quickly, and Ignis can’t help but wonder if something is the matter.

“Apologies, am I making you nervous?” Ignis asks, as he pushes his glasses up his nose, eyes traveling from Prompto’s gaze to his fingers fiddling with the cup.

Prompto pushes the cup away, raising his hands in surrender. “No! No, not at all. I just feel like you’re ready to, um… head for the hills. I’m tryin’ not to be too much, to keep that from happening.”

Ignis feels his heart ache. He knows he was rather skittish earlier, and quite frankly, he still feels that way. It is a precarious situation, and he doesn’t want to push one way or the other, and he can see that Prompto is feeling similarly. It seems that they have more in common than Ignis initially realized.

Ignis slides his hands across the table, taking both of Prompto’s in his own. His thumb brushes against both of Prompto’s wrists in a soothing gesture, and Prompto shyly meets his gaze, visibly relaxing a bit. 

“Prompto, I’m not going to run from you, I promise. I’m merely trying to approach this situation with care. If we were too hasty… things could become awkward for us, as coworkers.”

Prompto nods. “Yeah, totally. I get that.”

“Right.” Ignis squeezes Prompto’s wrists. “I am… still processing yesterday evening, and now this… it’s quite a lot.”

“I know,” Prompto says. “It’s crazy, right? Look, if you just wanna… y’know, be friends… I can swing that. No biggie.”

Ignis can tell that Prompto is lying, only because Ignis would say something similar right now in the _exact_ same fashion. A platonic relationship is about the last thing he wants, but he knows it’s imperative to approach this delicately. Ignis doesn’t want to ruin this.

“I’m not certain how _you_ wish to proceed,” Ignis starts, “but I do feel that we should approach this with caution.”

Ignis can see the disappointment in Prompto’s eyes. His hands slacken a bit in Ignis’s grip, as he chews on his lip.

“Uh huh,” Prompto says, words muffled through his teeth. “Makes sense.”

“I don’t mean that we cannot pursue anything,” Ignis says. “I do think we ought to get to know each other a bit better, and proceed from there. Does that sound alright to you?”

Prompto nods a bit too quickly. “Totally. That’s definitely the smart thing to do.” He snorts bitterly.

“Is something wrong?”

Prompto hesitates for a moment. “I won’t lie, dude, I’m…” His cheeks are fairly pink at this point. “Never mind.”

“Tell me?” Ignis pleads gently, letting go of Prompto’s hands to give him a bit of space. He wishes more than anything to lean in and press a kiss to those reddened cheeks.

Prompto locks eyes with Ignis, searching them for some sort of a sign. “I’m really attracted to you, Ignis.”

Ignis’s heart gallops in his chest. It feels as if Prompto’s peering into his very soul. He’d be an idiot to ignore this.

“I am as well,” Ignis assures him after recovering. “Trust me, you’re about all I can think about since we met. Let us... simply be careful with one another, shall we?”

“I always planned to be careful with you,” Prompto promises.

Ignis’s heart continues its marathon. Whether Prompto is being genuine or not, the line was smooth as velvet, and he finds himself thoroughly charmed by it.

“I’m honored,” Ignis whispers. “And I, with you.”

“See, you don’t even gotta say much,” Prompto whines, leaning back in his chair, relaxing a little. “You can just say ‘and I, with you’ and it melts me like butter. I gotta actually _try.”_ He rolls his eyes. “ _So_ not fair, man.”

Ignis laughs softly. “Apologies.”

Prompto sighs, a bit of relief leaking into it. “So, um… what now?”

“I’m not quite certain,” Ignis admits. “You teach photography, correct?”

“I do!” Prompto beams. “I’ve got some teaching credentials under my belt. Never thought I’d get the job, but apparently my charm won ‘em over.”

“I can see that. How was your first day?”

“It was great. The students are all super cool, and they seem to vibe with me, so hopefully they won’t get _too_ mad when I start actually giving them assignments…” He snorts and chews on his lip again.

“That’s always the trick, isn’t it?” Ignis teases. “I’ll have to stop by and observe a lesson or two, perhaps.” He takes a sip of his coffee. “If you’re alright with that, of course.”

Prompto smirks. “I mean, it might be a _little_ distracting, but I think I can swing it. If those horny students in your class can get a passing grade, I have faith in myself.”

Ignis nearly chokes on his coffee. “Pardon?”

“C’mon, don’t tell me you don’t see ‘em. I’m gonna guess there’s a few students in your class that couldn’t care less about… uh, Lucian music history.” Prompto snickers. “They couldn’t take their eyes off of you. I saw it, and I was only in there for two minutes. Like that movie where the girl puts ‘love you’ on her eyelids in front of the hot professor.” He throws his head back and laughs fully.

Ignis feels heat bloom on his cheeks. “I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t lie,” Prompto teases in a sing-song voice. “I don’t blame ‘em for bein’ hot for teacher, c’mon, look at you.”

Ignis starts to laugh. “Hardly. Please.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop,” Prompto teases. “Just sayin’, I’d jump on the chance to join that class.”

“Ah, you must have a passion for music history,” Ignis fires back, playing along.

“Oh, yeah, it really gets me goin’.” Prompto winks. “All jokes aside, they seemed to like you.”

“Well, they certainly don’t have to like me, but I would assume it’d make things easier.” Ignis sighs. “What made you decide you wanted to teach?”

“I dunno, I was self-taught. I couldn’t really afford any formal lessons for things I wanted to do, y’know, like photography. It was my _dream_ to come to a school like this when I was younger and, y’know, learn formal stuff. Now I can spread my knowledge. I always liked the non-traditional way of teaching. Like, real life applications, and all that jazz. I just hope the students like it, too.”

Ignis smiles. “That’s very fitting for you. You seem lovely at it. Now, I’ll _really_ have to stop in for a bit to observe you teaching.”

“I’ve got a noon class tomorrow,” Prompto offers teasingly. “You could always stop by. I’m a li’l rusty, but…” He shrugs.

“Well, I don’t have a class tomorrow,” Ignis notes. “That’s certainly an option.”

Ignis isn’t certain if it would be a good idea to watch Prompto teach. It could be all the more charming, and it might prove even more difficult to keep things platonic for the sake of getting to know each other. He can only hope that his self-control is at its best.

“Awesome. It’s a date. Or, not a date, but…” Prompto laughs, taking a drink of his coffee. “Sorry.”

“You needn’t apologize,” Ignis promises. “I’m looking forward to it.”

“Me, too. You gotta let me watch you, too. I’m sure _I’ll_ be the one writing ‘love you’ on my eyelids.” 

Ignis shakes his head fondly. “You’re incorrigible.”

“I do try. Whatever that means. So, um, what about you?”

“What about me?”

“What made you want to teach the thing you like so much?”

“Ah.” Ignis threads his gloved fingers together. “I sort of fell into it, really. I was sort of a tutor or mentor to one of my close friends when we were children. It seems that I was rather good at it, or as good as I could hope to be. Filling minds with knowledge is never a bad thing, I suppose.”

“You’re not wrong. It’s cool you’ve kinda been doing this your whole life, then.”

“Indeed. May I ask where you’re from? You’re new in town, forgive me for not asking previously.”

“Oh! I mean, I’m from Niflheim, but I don’t really… claim it, if that makes sense? I didn’t have the best life there. A lot of people don’t.” Prompto sighs. “My friend, y’know, Aranea—she mentioned you guys met—is from there too, and we both sort of fled. It was impulsive but also not, ‘cause we’ve been wanting to leave for so long, but… y’know, here we are.”

“I see,” Ignis says. “I’m very happy that you made your way here. Is there any particular reason why you chose Lucis?”

Prompto shrugs. “Good school. Fairly good government. Seems a lot peaceful here.”

“It is a wonderful city,” Ignis says softly. “Leaving Tenebrae isn’t quite so bad if I get to stay here.”

Prompto nods. “I could see that. I’m just hopin’ I can settle in soon. The hustle ‘n bustle of a new city is always so intimidating.”

“It is,” Ignis says, “but I’m merely a phone call away, should you feel lonely.”

Prompto smiles softly, brightening the entire cafe. “I’ll hold you to that, dude.”

Ignis’s smile is likely not nearly as bright, but he can’t help but mirror it the best he can. “Grand.”

——— 

As Ignis prepares for bed, he knows it’s for the best if he stops considering Prompto in a romantic light. He should train himself to only take note of platonic feelings for the soft blond. Still, as he tucks himself into bed at night, bidding Prompto a goodnight text, he cannot stop thinking of Prompto’s smile.

Ignis knows he still has a lot to learn about Prompto, and vice versa, but he does know one thing for certain: it’s going to be very difficult to keep things platonic. He’s never felt this way about anyone else before.

——— 

Ignis tries to reign in his disappointment when he shows up at the university to observe Prompto’s noon class. A student showed up during his office hours to go over questions about the syllabus _right_ when Prompto’s class started. By the time she left, 40 minutes had passed.

Ignis rushes to Prompto’s classroom, hoping he can catch the tail end of his lesson, at least. He quietly opens the door to the classroom. Several heads turn toward Ignis, as Prompto’s currently standing on his desk, crouched with a camera in his hand. Prompto’s eyes widen as they land on Ignis, and Ignis can barely reign in a smile.

“Good afternoon,” Ignis says with slight surprise at Prompto’s rather comical position.

“Glad you could make it,” Prompto notes, still crouched on his desk, laughing a little. “We were talking a little bit about framing, as you can see.” He waves the camera in his hands a little.

“Do continue, I hate to interrupt any more than I already have,” Ignis says with polite amusement, leaning against the wall, crossing his leg over the other.

“Right. Anyway. Um…” Prompto returns his attention to the class, cheeks noticeably pinker. “Framing! Right. Anyway, sometimes framing doesn’t have to be super obvious. And you don’t have to frame at all, it’s really up to the taste of a photographer, but it’s worth a shot— _ha—_ at least once in your photography adventures. For example, if I wanted to take an artsy photo of our kind and lovely music history tutor, Professor —”

“Scientia,” Ignis supplies, crossing his arms teasingly.

“Professor Scientia. I could, y’know, use the doorframe—hey, it’s even got _frame_ in the title.” A few students roll their eyes and laugh. “Or, I could get creative…” Prompto hops off of the desk, and slides onto the ground underneath an empty one. “The legs of this table not only give me a frame, but this is a whacky angle. C’mon, gimme a smile, Professor.”

Ignis feels heat crop up on his cheeks. “No.” Several students laugh. He covers his smile behind his fist, looking the other way. 

“Thaaaaat’s alright,” Prompto says, rolling with the punches easily, “that’s perfect enough.” 

Ignis notices a flash, only realizing too late that Prompto _actually_ took the picture. He can’t help but laugh, thoroughly charmed at how outgoing and comedic Prompto is with his students.

“And what would you photograph if I weren’t in the room?” Ignis points out.

“Doesn’t matter, ‘cause you _are_ in the room. Step foot in here, and you’re bound to be on camera.” Prompto turns to his students and winks, still lying on the floor. “Don’t worry, that doesn’t apply to you all.”

“How kind,” Ignis says sarcastically.

“Anyway, framing and angles kinda go hand in hand.” Prompto lets out an overexaggerated groan as he rises to his feet. “Shit, dirt on my pants—sorry. I mean, we’re all adults here, so it’s fine…”

The students continue to laugh as Prompto brushes his pants off. Ignis finds himself chuckling as well. He’s certainly grateful he’s not a student of Prompto’s. He’s exactly the type of professor he’d find himself crushing on during his university years— a charming young man, funny, with a day-brightening smile. 

“When you use angle and framing, it’s sorta like telling a story. You want whatever you’re takin’ a picture of to _tell_ that story. Your angle is sort of like, the point of view, y’know? Who’s telling that story. And your frame? It shows you what part of the story to focus on.”

A student calls out, “What story were you telling about Professor Scientia?” 

A few high-pitched giggles fill the room after the question.

Prompto leans against his desk, setting the camera down. He chews on his lip for a moment, stealing a brief glance from Ignis. Ignis’s heart races in his chest; as charming as Prompto is, he’s unpredictable, and Ignis has no idea what Prompto’s response will be.

“Well,” Prompto starts, laughing mischievously, “maybe he caught me cheating, right? Cheating on his fancy pants music history exam. And he’s had _enough,_ right? Maybe that’s not the first time I’ve been a li’l nuisance in his class.”

More laughter erupts from the class. Ignis can only watch with amusement as Prompto spins his tale.

“So, I’m doin’ what _any_ normal college student would do, right? I’m hiding under desks, maybe. Or, no, no, no, _wait!_ Hold the phone. I’m hiding under _his_ desk. I’m trying to change my score on his laptop. Or maybe a tablet. He looks like a tablet sorta gentleman, doesn’t he?”

“He’s got a laptop,” someone in the back of the class shouts, much to the amusement of everyone in the class. 

Ignis recognizes the student from last semester. He laughs out loud, trying to disguise it as a cough when several students look.

Prompto’s laughter matches Ignis’s, and their eyes connect for a brief moment. There’s no denying the spark that ignites between them, tangible and bright. Ignis’s heart won’t give him a moment’s rest as he searches Prompto’s periwinkle eyes.

Prompto breaks his gaze away first, addressing his students once more. “Okay, so, dude’s got a laptop. I’m tryin’ to break into his computer, but I dunno the password, y’know. Maybe it’s ‘chocobo’, maybe it’s… ‘EbonyCoffee420’. Who knows?”

Students laugh at the reference, and Ignis rolls his eyes with fond amusement.

“You ought to become a hacker,” Ignis teases.

“Right?” Prompto agrees jokingly. “Ignis—er, Professor Scientia, sorry—is gonna catch me, for sure. He looks like he’s flexible under all those fancy clothes, am I right?”

A few more high-pitched giggles fill the room once more, and Ignis finds himself flustered.

“Please,” Ignis scoffs.

“So yeah, he’s gonna kick my ass… and that’s the kinda story you’d wanna tell with your photo. Well, not _that_ story. Please don’t cheat on Professor Scientia’s exams.” Prompto snorts. He checks the time on his phone. “Welp, on that note, I hope that lesson stuck with ya, ‘cause class is over. So, for the assignment due next week, I want a photo that’s framed. Tell me those stories, people. Don’t cheat on exams to do it, but… y’know.”

The students rush to leave class, a few of them bidding goodbye to Prompto and to Ignis. Ignis remains leaning against the wall with soft amusement, eager to get Prompto alone.

As soon as the last student files out, Prompto shoves his hands in his pockets, smirking a little. “So, uh, thanks for helping me with my lesson. Didn’t think you were gonna show.”

“I had a student in my office,” Ignis explains. “I am… _very_ glad I got to witness this display.”

Prompto’s smirk transforms into a proud grin. “Thanks! _Pretty_ sure they think I’m an idiot, but… hey, as long as they get the… _picture_.” He imitates shooting with his fingers.

“Have I told you how much I adore puns?” Ignis wonders. “As long as you don’t lose _focus.”_

Prompto throws his head back to laugh. “I love ‘em too.”

“I ought to be mad you suggested cheating on my exams,” Ignis teases, walking closer to Prompto to close the distance between them.

“Hey, I gave ‘em at _least_ two disclaimers,” Prompto says defensively. “You can tell ‘em to steal a photo off of Moogle for my exam project, if you want.”

“I would never,” Ignis promises.

“My hero.” Prompto bats his eyelashes playfully. “So, when am I gonna see Professor Scientia in his natural habitat, huh?”

“I mean, as I recall, you did yesterday.”

“That was only, like, two minutes, and you completely forgot what you were saying when I walked in the room.”

Ignis shoots a pointed glare at Prompto. “You can certainly understand why.”

“Sorry ‘bout that.” Prompto shrugs. “I mean, how ‘bout those private piano lessons, huh? I’d love to learn a thing or two. How much are they?”

Ignis raises an eyebrow, appalled at the thought. “I could never charge you. If you’d like an informal lesson, however, I certainly wouldn’t mind giving you one.”

“Oh, yeah? Where’s the nearest piano?” Prompto teases. “I’d really love to see you play.”

“Well, I usually offer the lessons in my home…” Ignis trails off, lost in thought.

Bringing Prompto home could prove interesting, seeing as Ignis is trying very hard to not kiss him right here and now. Being in public, in their place of work, seems to be the only thing stopping his wavering self-control. If they’re both at Ignis’s home, completely uninterrupted and alone…

“Oh, wow, really?” Prompto asks. “That’s kinda cool.”

“I suppose.” Ignis finds words leaving his mouth before he gives his mouth permission to speak. “You could come over some evening and share a lesson or two? Perhaps you could teach me about photography, as well.”

Prompto’s face lights up, as if waiting for the invitation. He grins a brilliant, heart-stopping smile, and Ignis has to duck his head shyly after a moment.

“I’d _love_ to. We can order some takeout, and everything,” Prompto says. “Sometime this week?”

“That sounds perfect,” Ignis admits. He knows it’s not exactly a romantic tryst; coworkers and friends alike usually get together for a meal. Still, there’s something about this that feels entirely too intimate, and yet not intimate enough all at once.

The door to Prompto’s classroom opens, and a student walks in.

“Professor Argentum? I have a question about next week’s assignment?” the student asks hesitantly, eyeing them both. 

It seems as if it’s Ignis’s cue to leave. He offers Prompto a soft smile. “I shall see you later, Professor. Farewell.”

Prompto nods. “Yeah. See ya.”

Ignis heads back to his office to sigh wistfully, feeling his heart flutter in his chest affectionately. Prompto _Argentum_ will certainly be the death of him, he knows it.

——— 

The rest of the week passes without incident, though Ignis takes any opportunity he can to excuse himself to observe even a small amount of Prompto’s lessons. He even pretends he can’t find his pen, though he has a whole desk of them; it isn’t shameless if no one will ever find out, is it?

Ignis swore to himself he’d keep this platonic for the sake of both of their careers and to help ease Prompto’s transition to Insomnia, but with every late night text he receives, every dashing selfie Prompto sends his way, and every time he finds himself grinning at Prompto’s latest social media updates, he knows it will be harder than ever.

Ignis knows he isn’t alone in this. On occasions that Ignis doesn’t see Prompto in class, Prompto makes his way into Ignis’s, instead.

Ignis’s infatuation makes him dread the weekend; as they haven’t found time to plan their little piano lesson, he knows it’s unlikely he’ll see Prompto again until Monday. As ridiculous as he feels, he can’t really hide the feelings growing inside him. 

**_Prompto (1:24 P.M.):_ ** _hey, i know we’ve been pretty busy this week… but i’m free after class today… maybe i could come over at like, 6? is that cool? feel free to blow me off :P_

Ignis can’t help but grin, happy that Prompto hadn’t forgotten. Perhaps this weekend won’t be so lonely after all.

**_Ignis (1:25 P.M.):_ ** _That would be grand. Let me send you my address._

The only thing Ignis can hope for now is that he doesn’t blow it. He debates heading to Gladio’s for advice, before ultimately deciding against it. He’ll only turn this into dating advice, which is the exact _opposite_ of what he needs here.

——— 

It’s yet another evening that Ignis finds himself pacing his apartment nervously, but for an entirely different reason. Would Prompto consider this a date? Would it lead to a date? Would this determine Prompto’s decision _to_ date Ignis in the future? Would _Ignis_ wish to date Prompto after this?

Ignis is out of touch with all this. It’s been so long since he’s bothered to _care_ about a relationship with anyone; he’s never really had much to lose in terms of dating until now. 

Ignis wishes he offered to cook something; cooking takes his mind off of things easily, and it would channel his stress in the form of concocting a meal. All he can do right now is twiddle his thumbs and hope for the best. He shouldn’t even be worrying about this so much; this is supposed to be a platonic evening between two potential friends, nothing more.

Why is Ignis so bloody nervous? He settles down for some television to take his mind off of things, hoping he doesn’t start biting his nails.

When the knock on the door startles Ignis slightly, entirely out of his element, he wonders how the hours passed by so quickly. He turns the television off, heart pounding as he opens the door.

“Heyaz,” Prompto greets with a smile. He’s wearing the same outfit as earlier—red looks good on him, Ignis notes—but with a seemingly fresh coat of hair gel and spritz of cologne. He’s wearing eyeliner, as well, and Ignis has to admit that it suits him rather well.

“Good evening, Prompto,” Ignis says softly. “Do come in.”

Prompto steps inside the apartment, accepting the invitation happily. “Whoa, nice digs you got here, dude. Super tidy. Guess I kinda expected that.” He snorts.

“Do I seem tidy?” Ignis wonders as he watches Prompto toe off his shoes.

“Uh… I mean, you don’t seem _un_ tidy,” Prompto responds. “You’ve got that… alphabetized movie collection sort of vibe.”

Ignis chuckles. “Hardly. They’re entirely unorganized.”

“Wow. Color me surprised, man.” Prompto looks around. “Oh, shit. Video game collection. Nice. No pets?”

“None at the moment. My last home didn’t allow animals, so I haven’t had the time to look. Yourself?” Ignis wonders.

“I’ve been thinkin’ about adopting a dog,” Prompto admits, “but nothin’ so far. You like dogs? I remember you sayin’ you liked animals.”

“Dogs are wonderful,” Ignis says. “I think you’d be excellent with one.”

Prompto grins. “Thanks. I gotta come over for video games, too. These are seriously some cool vintage collections! D’you still have the consoles for ‘em?”

“But of course,” Ignis says, walking over to his television stand to open the drawer and reveal a hidden console collection.

Prompto gasps. “Whoa,” he murmurs. “I’m _so_ jelly. I left a lot of my old stuff behind when I moved here.”

Ignis feels sympathetic for Prompto, and it fuels his next words before he even realizes he’s saying them. “You’re welcome to play anytime you’d like.”

“Just a random couch potato here all the time, huh?” Prompto teases.

Ignis doesn’t have the heart to tell him that he wouldn’t mind _that_ in the slightest. “As long as you leave room for me.”

“Well, yeah, who’s gonna be my player two?” 

Ignis knows Prompto is merely teasing, and the words don’t imply anything other than a potential friendship, but his fickle heart feels otherwise, betraying himself slightly. 

Prompto looks over Ignis’s shoulder and widens his eyes. “Oh man, is that your piano?”

Ignis turns around to eye his white grand piano. He’s used to seeing it every day, but he realizes it’s a very extravagant instrument for those who _aren’t._

“It is,” Ignis murmurs. “You may go take a look, if you’d like.”

Prompto rushes over, hovering his fingers over the keylid. He sucks in a breath through his teeth. 

“This must have been _crazy_ expensive, dude. I don’t even wanna touch it,” Prompto admits. “It’s so beautiful.”

Ignis feels his cheeks warm for some reason. He reaches out to open the keylid, revealing the black and white keys underneath. 

“It was a gift,” Ignis explains. “A very generous gift from a family friend.”

Noctis’s father, in fact, gifted him the piano as soon as he decided he’d make a career out of teaching music. Ignis fell to his knees when he saw it the first time; he can understand Prompto’s reaction completely.

“Wow. Lucky you, huh?” Prompto says. He reaches out to press a key. “Sounds great. Not that I’d know the difference.”

“I keep it regularly tuned, of course, so you aren’t wrong,” Ignis teases. “How much do you know about playing?”

“Not much,” Prompto admits. “You step on the little pedals, and press the keys, I guess.”

Ignis laughs. Though he’s certainly heard worse, it’s obvious that Prompto isn’t well-versed in the world of pianists. “In the grand scheme of things, you’re correct.” He pulls the piano bench out, inviting Prompto to sit. “Would you care to learn a few things?”

Their eyes lock for a brief moment, and Prompto’s expression is slightly mesmerized. “Sure, dude.” 

Prompto sits on the bench, and he immediately goes to step on the pedal. 

“Ah, not so fast,” Ignis says gently. “Let’s start from the beginning, hmm?”

“Okay.” He chuckles nervously. “I’m all yours.”

Ignis ignores the thrill that travels down his spine at Prompto’s words. “Permission to touch?”

“Permission granted,” Prompto says far too quickly. “I’ve probably got shitty posture, huh?”

“Actually,” Ignis remarks softly, placing his hands on the small of Prompto’s back, “your posture is perfectly fine. Just scoot up a bit; the bench is a bit too big, and you want your arms to be a comfortable distance from the keys.” 

Prompto scoots forward, and Ignis trails a finger along Prompto’s arms to test the length, bending them straight out.

“That’s perfect,” Ignis murmurs.

“Awesome.” Prompto’s tone is slightly more nervous than before, but his body language welcomes Ignis’s touch. 

“Alright, you’re sitting up straight, which is good; we’ll want to relax your shoulders just a bit, like so.” Ignis pulls Prompto’s shoulders back slightly, so Prompto can relax. “Feet flat on the ground, like this. Most people consider piano-playing as something involving only the fingers, but it truly involves your body. Even your core will become stronger after a bit of piano playing.” Ignis gently brushes his hand along Prompto’s soft stomach.

“I dunno about that,” Prompto jokes, poking the bulge of his stomach. 

Ignis’s heart warms, smiling a bit. “I promise you, you’ll be able to maintain this posture easily after a few months of piano,” he says. “You won’t lose a bit of your handsome features, I assure you.”

Prompto’s cheeks warm, decidedly pinker. “Is that a normal thing to say during your lessons?”

Ignis can’t help but laugh. “This would be a special occasion.”

“Ooh. I’m special.” Prompto snorts.

“Indeed you are,” Ignis whispers. 

There’s a moment of silence, and it’s definitely charged. Ignis isn’t doing the best job of keeping this platonic, so he decides to reign it in a bit. He clears his throat awkwardly.

“Alright, now, you’ll want to hold your fingers as if you’re sort of holding a tiny ball,” Ignis explains, curving his fingers over the tops of Prompto’s. He curls Prompto’s fingers so that the tips brush against the keys. “It’ll be the brush of your fingertips, not stabbing the keys.”

“Ticklin’ the ivories,” Prompto jokes. “I gotcha.”

It’s difficult for Ignis to ignore how close they are to one another. He can feel warmth radiating off of Prompto, particularly his hands. He’s certain Ignis breathing down Prompto’s neck isn’t exactly easy to ignore as well. 

“Let’s press a key, shall we? We’ll want to drop your finger to it, not _hit_ it. Give it a try…” Ignis whispers, allowing Prompto to gently brush his finger onto the key. He smiles. “Excellent. While you don’t always need to be gentle, it’s always best to approach it in a precise way. Try to play the note harder and longer this time—and do be sure you don’t buckle your fingers.”

Prompto strikes the note once more, harder this time. The note rings out through the apartment, loud and firm, and Prompto’s finger doesn’t buckle even slightly.

“Grand,” Ignis compliments.

“Gotta treat it right, huh?” Prompto teases.

“Indeed. Now, let’s start looking at actual notes, hmm?” Ignis says. “Each of these keys represents a musical note—A, B, C, and so forth. We’ll want to center our focus on the middle C, right here.” Ignis moves Prompto’s fingers so that they brush against the middle C. “We’ll keep our thumb there for now, just like that. The white keys that follow are sequential; D, E, F, G, and so forth. Let’s place the rest of our fingers on those.”

Prompto’s smiling, Ignis can tell, as he places his fingers accordingly. “Alright, we’re in business.”

“Yes. This will be our starting position, we’ll worry about the black keys in a moment. You’ll note there’s a repeating pattern on the piano, you see?” Ignis points out.

“Yeah.”

“That’s because the notes repeat, A through G, then back to A.”

“Oh, so it’s, like, the same letters. I got it,” Prompto says. 

“Correct. This C, that your thumb is on, is much higher than, say, a C down here in the lower octaves.” Ignis reaches with his free hand to play the lowest C.

Prompto snorts. “Sounds very ominous.”

“It is often used in that manner, yes. So, when you learn to play more complex melodies, you’ll be fiddling with the octaves quite a bit, but for now, we’ll just focus on our middle C range.”

“Right in the middle, hell yeah.” Prompto returns his attention to the middle octave range of notes, his thumb still brushing against the middle C. 

“Indeed,” Ignis whispers. “You’ll want to remember the order of the notes. Of course, they are in alphabetical order, so to speak, but it’s important that you know what note starts where. It will become second nature eventually, but I like to remember it by noting that C is the first white key before the pattern of two black ones.”

“Sure. So this is a C,” Prompto wiggles his thumb, then points to another white key before two black ones, “and this one is, and all the others?”

“Yes, wonderful.”

“Not gonna lie, I’m probably gonna forget this,” Prompto murmurs. “I dunno how anyone can concentrate with you as an instructor, dude.”

Ignis flushes, heart pounding in his chest. “Perhaps you’re a bit biased.”

“No way, man. Your voice is like, liquid velvet, hot chocolate, soft chocobo feathers… and you smell _really_ good? This is bananas.”

“Prompto, please,” Ignis says shyly, chuckling. “You’re far too kind. I will certainly fade into the background once you start playing a melody. Shall we try one?”

“I mean, I’m gonna suck at it, but let’s go for it,” Prompto teases.

“Be kinder to yourself,” Ignis says softly. “We’ll start with something simple, though it’s one of my favorites.”

“Sounds good,” Prompto whispers. 

“Alright, easily enough, we’ll start with C,” Ignis says, guiding Prompto to press the keys. “D, F, G, C again…” The melody slowly starts playing out, though choppy and disjointed, it’s easily recognizable. Prompto starts laughing as Ignis picks up the speed. “C, D, C, D, D…”

Ignis continues like this for a while, Prompto obeying as they continue to press the keys. He doesn’t allow it to go on for too many notes, as it would be overwhelming. 

“You recognize the melody?” Ignis asks, before ceasing.

“Kinda? Sounds familiar,” Prompto murmurs.

“It’s a Lucian nocturne, composed over 200 years ago. It’s one of my favorite pieces. I’m quite fond of nocturnes,” Ignis notes.

“Can you play it?” Prompto asks. “Like, not tiny little single notes, but like… y’know. Actually _play_ it.” 

“It will be a while before you learn chords,” Ignis says. “That is, if you’re interested in continuing the piano lesson… it goes a bit like this.”

Ignis hovers behind Prompto, placing his fingers on the correct chords. He starts back at the beginning, starting the beginning C note with the proper chord, slowly developing the melody. He’s not sitting properly, but it gives Prompto a decent enough example of the song.

“Holy shit,” Prompto whispers as soon as Ignis cuts himself off from playing more. “You’re amazing.”

Prompto turns on the bench to lock eyes with Ignis, completely mesmerized. The look on Prompto’s face is flattering and charming all at once, and Ignis has to resist the urge to place a kiss on his gently parted lips.

“Oh, I’m quite rusty, and I wasn’t sitting properly, but it gives you a genuine idea,” Ignis says. “I have a beautiful composition of it on record, if you’d like to hear it played much better.”

“I don’t think you can get much better than that,” Prompto gushes. “But if you wanna play it, I’d love to hear it. It’s such a pretty song.”

Ignis smiles. “I’m quite glad you like it. We’ll give it a little listen, hmm?”

Ignis finds the remote to his stereo, and flips to the proper disc. The gentle nocturne begins to play, a much better rendition of Ignis’s playing. Ignis smiles, sitting on the piano bench next to Prompto.

“It’s wonderful how light and airy the piece is, is it not?” Ignis points out.

Prompto snorts. “Sure.”

Ignis bites his lip. He feels a bit badly; Prompto didn’t ask for any of this, particularly not for Ignis to gush about a piece that Prompto likely doesn’t care about. 

“Apologies,” Ignis murmurs. “This likely isn’t your cup of tea, is it?”

“What?” Prompto asks with surprise. “No, this is really pretty, dude. I love it. I was just thinkin’ about how I wanna dance with you to it.”

Ignis’s heart flutters in his chest, stomach filled with butterflies. He tries not to flush, softly avoiding Prompto’s alluring gaze.

“Well, nocturnes tend to be a bit melancholy. Not ideal for traditional dance,” Ignis says gently, as if this would compel either of them to resist. “Though, I suppose if you really wished to, you could dance to it.”

“Why not?” Prompto asks with a soft smile, holding out his hand for Ignis to take. “We can interpret it however we want.”

It seems that there’s a double meaning to his words. Ignis locks eyes with Prompto’s beautiful periwinkle ones, and they almost seem to be sparkling with excitement. He can’t help but smile in return, completely enamored by Prompto.

“Right you are,” Ignis decides, and accepts Prompto’s offer by gently gripping his hand.

Prompto stands, guiding them both away from the piano, as he gently places his hand on Ignis’s waist. He’s leading, Ignis realizes, and he finds himself wondering where Prompto learned to formally dance.

“I might be a little rusty,” Prompto murmurs, “I haven’t done this since I was a kid.”

“Who taught you?” Ignis wonders. “That’s quite alright. I haven’t found myself dancing lately, either.”

Prompto looks up at him, a soft expression on his features. The atmosphere is charged, and Ignis desperately tries to ignore it. Prompto is warm at his side, leading him wonderfully, the gentlest of smiles on his face. When their gazes meet, shy yet sure, they both laugh gently.

“Uh, it’s kinda complicated,” Prompto says. “I had a really crappy birth father, but I was taught by someone who ended up being my father figure?” He snorts. “My tragic backstory probably shouldn’t be unlocked just yet.”

“I’m very sorry your birth father wasn’t kind to you,” Ignis says sincerely. “It doesn’t show.”

“It is what it is,” Prompto says. “I’ve got much better people in my life now.”

“I’m happy about that. I’m also rather happy you managed to move here out of all the places in the world.”

“Huh? Why’s that?” Prompto wonders, spinning Ignis around playfully.

“It allowed us to meet,” Ignis says simply. “I find myself happier now that you’re around.”

Prompto smiles shyly. “You’re slick, huh? Thought I was the only one, dude.”

Ignis makes the mistake of allowing his eyes to fall on Prompto’s lips. It’s only a brief moment, but Prompto notices instantly. They’re frozen there like that for a long moment, swaying back and forth to the gentle sounds of the nocturne.

Ignis doesn’t realize that he’s leaning in until he can feel the warmth of Prompto’s breath on his own mouth. They’re so close, Ignis can’t bear to turn away—he’s craved Prompto’s kiss since the night they met. 

Ignis pauses, suddenly realizing himself. This is the very _opposite_ of platonic, and he would hate for Prompto to feel obligated to share this moment with him. He pulls away, disentangling himself from Prompto.

“Gods, I am so terribly sorry,” Ignis blurts, a bit embarrassed. “I was completely inappropriate.”

Prompto’s disappointment is plain on his face, his entire energy shifting, face falling. “Wait, what?” he demands.

“I was supposed to be teaching you a simple piano lesson,” Ignis murmurs. “I’ve gone and made this an entire mess.” He picks up the stereo remote and turns the song off as it ends.

“Dude,” Prompto says with a sigh of disbelief, shaking his head. “I don’t wanna offend you or anything, but piano is about the _last_ reason I came here.”

Ignis raises his eyebrow. “Pardon?”

“I mean,” Prompto backtracks, laughing a little, “I’m _happy_ to learn piano. It’s super cool. And you play beautifully, man. You’re an awesome teacher. I could listen to you talk about it all day. But it’s _you_ I came here for.” He takes a step forward, closing the distance that Ignis put between them. “I dunno how you expect us to keep this… as just friends.”

Ignis’s heart thuds as he hears Prompto say the words that have been echoing in his thoughts for nearly a week now. He doesn’t move away from him, but he feels that worry worm its way into his head, despite Prompto confirming that he’s not being rushed into this. 

“I mean, I’m happy to keep bein’ friends if that’s what _you_ want, don’t get me wrong here, dude,” Prompto says softly. “I just don’t wanna deny what we have. Don’t tell me I’m the only one who sees it. You just tried to kiss me, I’m _pretty_ sure. It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been kissed, but I’ve been wanting to since the night we met.”

Ignis ducks his head, chuckling softly. “I’ve wanted you to kiss me since I first laid eyes on you.”

“Now _that’s_ more like it,” Prompto whispers, reaching up to gently touch Ignis’s cheek. “Hey, can you look at me?”

Ignis looks up at Prompto’s request, loving the gentle dominance Prompto exhibits. He can’t help but smile when he sees how happy Prompto looks, his soft, round cheeks pink with flush.

“Gods, you’re perfect,” Prompto blurts reverently, thumb gently stroking Ignis’s cheek. “Can I kiss you?”

Ignis preens under Prompto’s praise. “You’re the one that’s perfect. I thought you’d never ask.”

Prompto laughs, and it’s the last thing Ignis hears before soft, warm lips touch his. Ignis melts against Prompto easily, their lips moving together as one. Prompto gently teases the seam of Ignis’s mouth with his tongue, and he’s helpless to resist allowing it. Ignis wraps his arms around Prompto’s waist, holding him close, as Prompto hums contentedly at the gesture.

Ignis hasn’t been kissed in quite some time, but it’s absolutely the most mesmerizing one he’s ever shared. His heart won’t quite calm as they kiss like that for a few moments longer, before Prompto remembers himself, and pulls away.

“You’re wonderful,” Ignis whispers gently, holding Prompto’s gaze hostage. “I’ve been trying to hide that feeling. It’s nice to not have to any longer.”

Prompto smirks at the praise, but seems confused. “Why? With such a pretty flush like that?”

Ignis laughs out loud, a nervous sound. “You’re good at this,” he notes. “I… didn’t wish to rush you. New to a job, and new in town, it must be a lot, and I wouldn’t wish to add any pressure to you.”

“There’s no pressure,” Prompto says. “We can figure it out as we go along, huh? If we wanna slow down, we’ll slow down. If we wanna go faster…”

Ignis bites his lip on a smile. “I find myself preferring the latter.”

“Yeah?” Prompto grins. “Should I stay the night?”

“I’d _love_ that,” Ignis answers just as quickly, sliding his hands up to tangle in Prompto’s soft hair. “You can stay any night you’d like.”

“I might take you up on that,” Prompto teases. 

“Good.” Ignis coaxes Prompto’s head upward for another soft kiss, deepening it at the last moment when Prompto lets out a noise of surprise.

When their lips part, Prompto blinks back into reality, slightly dazed. “Man, I’ve decided I _really_ love speed dating.”

Ignis chuckles, tucking a lock of Prompto’s blond hair behind his ear. “Is that so? It’s a shame it’s very unlikely you’ll do it again.” He kisses Prompto’s forehead. 

“Nah, that’s definitely a good thing,” Prompto says wistfully, grabbing Ignis’s hand.

Ignis will certainly have to send Gladio a thank-you gift after this.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want more fat Prompto content, you should follow [Aneurin!](https://twitter.com/chubbyargentum) He's always drawing him so wonderfully ;-; once again, the art in this fic was done by him! 
> 
> as always, here's my [twitter](https://twitter.com/ignisgayentia) and [tumblr](http://ignisgayentia.tumblr.com/) if you'd like to see me blab more about these nerds!


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